"You want to buy coal? I'll go with you."
Xu Keke turned around, and Qi Chang stood behind her like an iron tower. He was so close that Xu Keke had to tilt her head back to see him clearly. His hair was a little messy, and his face looked like he hadn't washed.
"Old Qi, you just got back, right? My husband said you went to work overtime last night. You worked all night, are you sure you can manage?" Aunt Gao came out of the house. As long as Gao Jiale didn't go, she didn't mind who went; it was purely out of concern.
Qi Chang parted his fingers and gathered the hair on his head. "It's okay. I slept for a while last night and didn't keep it dry."
He didn't ask Xu Keke any more questions, but took the coal book from her hand, opened it, and glanced at it. "Don't borrow Brother Gao's car anymore. I'll go to the outer courtyard and borrow a cart from Uncle Chen. I can bring it all back in one trip."
Aunt Gao was truly annoyed now. If she had known Qi Chang wanted to borrow the cart, she would have let Gao Jiale go along and bought their matchmaker as well.
Chen Daobang from the Foreign Languages Department was notoriously difficult to talk to. Every time you borrowed something from him, you had to consider his mood and then give him a reward afterwards. Only Qi Chang was close to him and could borrow a cart from him. But since he had already said it, he couldn't take it back. He could only think to himself that there was no good coal to be had, and it would be useless to go.
Qi Chang had no idea what she was thinking. It was already getting late, and if he went any later, there wouldn't be any good coal left. He told Xu Keke to wait at the door while he went home to change his clothes and then hurried away.
“Sister, it’s inconvenient for you to take your sister with you when you go to buy coal. Let her come with us to her grandma’s house. She can play with Jiaqing. She’ll have lunch with us there. You don’t need to worry about her. By the time you’re done with your work, it will be afternoon. I’ll bring her back tonight.”
Xu Keke knew that Aunt Gao wasn't just being polite; in this day and age, neighbors were often closer than relatives. Helping each other out and going out together was very common. Meng Jia used to often play with Jiaqing, and eating at the Gao family's house was a frequent occurrence.
Meng Jia had just lost her mother, and she didn't know if the child would prefer to stay with her now.
"Are you going?" Xu Keke reached out and ruffled Meng Jia's slightly yellowed hair. The child had been listless all day, and she didn't want to make the decision for her.
"Sister Jiajia, come with me. My little cousin and his friends always bully me. If you come with me, I won't play with them anymore." Gao Jiaqing popped out from inside like a little cannonball. This kid is full of energy.
Gao Jiaqing held Meng Jia's hand and said, "I told you last time that my grandma raised two rabbits, remember? One was gray, and the other was white and very beautiful. They were kept by the river."
Gao Jiaqing is two years younger than Meng Jia and is a bit clingy. Meng Jia turned to look at Xu Keke, pursing her lips and remaining silent. But even if a child seems dazed, their eyes don't lie. She glanced hesitantly at Xu Keke, then lowered her head again.
Given her close sisterly bond with Meng Dong, Xu Keke guessed that she probably felt it wasn't right to leave her alone, so she smiled at her and said, "Go if you want. With Brother Qi helping me, I don't need those other people."
Seeing the little girl's eyes light up, Xu Keke knew she had guessed correctly. "But when you get there, you can't be naughty. You have to be polite when you talk to people. You also have to be careful and keep an eye on your little brother Jiaqing."
Meng Jia nodded in agreement, but there was no smile on her face. Gao Jiaqing, however, was beaming with joy.
Qi Chang came out of the house after changing his clothes and overheard Xu Keke's words. He thought to himself, "Brother Qi! When did I get demoted? Why didn't anyone inform me?"
Aunt Gao left with the children. Xu Keke stood at the gate of the courtyard for a while before she saw Qi Chang pulling a cart coming from the alley.
Seeing the paper package clutched in his hand as he gripped the handlebars, Xu Keke knew he hadn't eaten breakfast yet.
"I'll pull the cart."
Before Qi Chang could even utter the words "I don't need it," Xu Keke had already reached out. She pulled at him, but he didn't take it. Xu Keke turned and glared at him.
She had absolutely no intimidating presence. Despite the girl's fierce words to his face, in Qi Chang's eyes, this little girl, who barely reached his chest, was no different from a kitten.
“I’ll pull the cart, you eat first.” Xu Keke pointed to the oil paper package in his hand. “This cart is light when it’s empty, I can pull it.”
The little girl was quite thoughtful, so Qi Chang let go of her hand.
Have you had breakfast?
"We ate it. Aunt Gao made dumpling soup. My sister and I each drank a big bowl."
"This sugar cake is sweet, why don't you try some?"
"Give me a little bit, not too much, just a taste."
Seeing Xu Keke turn her head and open her small mouth towards him, like a little bird eagerly waiting to be fed, Qi Chang was about to feed her when he heard Xu Keke say anxiously, "Don't give me too much, give me less, I'm afraid I'll choke if there's no water."
She had quite a few requests, so Qi Chang tore it into a smaller piece and put it in her mouth. Xu Keke chewed it, nodding repeatedly, "It's quite delicious, but it's a little sweet."
Qi Chang chuckled slightly. Had he become that familiar with this young girl? He remembered how shy she used to be; every time she saw him, her head would practically droop to her chest, as if afraid he might see her clearly. After living here for almost two years, he couldn't even remember what she looked like.
As they walked, Qi Chang finished the sugar cake in a few bites. Then he snatched the car back. This time, Xu Keke didn't try to take it from him again, but Qi Chang complained that she was walking too slowly, saying, "Come on up and sit down, I'll pull you along."
"This isn't appropriate," Xu Keke thought hesitantly, looking at him. Even if sixteen-year-old Meng Dong were here, he probably wouldn't feel comfortable.
Seeing that she hadn't moved for a while, Qi Chang laughed, "What are you thinking about? Hurry up, or we'll run out of coal."
Xu Keke then realized she had been overthinking things; the other person wasn't worried about her getting tired. They were simply concerned about not being able to do a good job.
In this era, coal was a necessity. It was used for drinking water, cooking, and heating. It was indispensable year-round. Coal quality varied, generally falling into two categories: one was large, shiny lumps that ignited quickly and burned for a long time.
However, this kind of coal is extremely rare. Unless you have connections or know someone at the coal shop, you have to rely entirely on experience to grab some. You have to line up before dawn, and at least two or three people have to go at a time, coordinating well with each other.
Otherwise, you'll only be able to buy coal face that others don't want. And the biggest characteristic of coal face is that it's difficult to burn and wastes a lot of coal.
For Xu Keke, the quality of her future life was far more important than her current embarrassment. Without saying a word, she got into the car.
"Hold on tight!" Qi Chang shouted, startling Xu Keke, who quickly grabbed the handlebars on both sides. Qi Chang smiled and pulled the cart up, running off at a brisk pace.
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